Log debarker



May 10, 1966 D. w. TYLER 3,250,306

LOG DEBAHKER Filed Aug. 50, 1963 92 1: 7 1 52 0 INVENTOR. -i 74v WM/ 3 84 BY m \11'66 E? 7W it 83f United States Patent 3,250,306 LOG DEBARKER Donald W. Tyler, 4808 55th SW., Seattle, Wash. Filed Aug. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 305,603 6 Claims. (Cl. 144-208) This invention is a log debarker for removing bark from logs.

An object of this invention is the provision of a log debarker which is of a straight forward design having relatively few moving parts.

A further object is to provide a log debarker which is a compact unit and occupies a relatively small floor area.

A still further important object is the provision of a log debarker having few wearing parts and which wearing parts may be readily replaced.

An additional object is the provision of a log debarker of a relatively inexpensive construction and therefore of a relatively low cost.

These and other important objects and advantages of the invention will be more particularly brought forth upon reference to the detailed specification, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the feed inlet, with part of the outer housing broken away to show the inner mechanism, of a specific embodiment of the invention constructed in accordance with the preferred teachings thereof;

FIGURE 2, on an enlarged. scale, is a lateral crosssectional view of the mounting for a working tool and illustrates a log passing through the throat of the log debarker;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view looking at the electric motor and shaft for rotating the circular housing of the log, debarker; and,

FIGURE 4 is a lateral cross-sectional view illustrating part of the mechanism for positioning the cylindrical housing and the working tools of the log debarker.

In FIGURE 1 the log debarker invention is illustrated as having a housing 12 and a base. The front or the input side of the housing has a front plate 16 with a large circular opening 18. The rear or the output side of the housing 12 has a face plate 20 with a relatively small opening 22. The opening 22 defines a throat and in this throat there is a cylindrical sleeve 24 which may be considered to be the throat of the log debarker. The throat of the log debarker is that part of the debarker through which the log moves.

The debarker 10 comprises a circular housing 26. The housing 26 has an outer circular plate 28 and two inwardly directed sides 30 and 32. The inwardly directed side 30 is of shorter length than the inwardly directed side 32. In FIGURE 1 the inwardly directed side 30 is hidden from view while the inwardly directed side 32 is illustrated. It is seen that the side 32 does not contact the cylindrical sleeve 24 of the throat opening 22. In fact, on the inner edge of the side 32. is a dust seal 34 in the configuration of a ring.

On the external surface of the circular sleeve 28 of the circular housing 26 and integral therewith there is a bull gear 42. This bull gear is driven by pinion gear 44 mounted on shaft 46. The shaft 46 is an output shaft of a motor 48. The motor 48 is mounted on the face plate 20 of the housing for the log debarker. This motor is mounted by means of a mounting plate 50 which is bolted to the face plate 20 of the housing. The end of the shaft 46 may be journalled in a bearing 54 on the front plate 16 of the housing for the debarker.

To also assist in positioning the circular housing 26 there are positioned eight rotating wheels 38. It is seen in FIGURE 1 that these wheels 38 are mounted on shafts or arbors 40. The arbors 40 are positioned between the housing from plate 16 and the face plate 20 of the housing in the log debarker. The rotating wheels 38 may have a rubber exterior or a plastic exterior or other suitable exterior for contacting the cylindrical sleeve 28 of the housing 26. It is to be realized that there are eight rotating wheels 38, viz., one set of four wheels near the front plate 16 and one set of four wheels near the face plate 20. These eight wheels 38 assist in positioning the circular housing. The wheels 38 may comprise of an inflatable rubber tire or cushion which can be inflated so as to have different sizes to assist in positioning the circular housing 26.

In FIGURE 4 there is illustrated the bull gear 42, the shaft 40 and two spaced-apart wheels 38. These wheels are on each side of the bull gear 42 and are separated by a bushing or sleeve 56. The ends of shaft 40 are journalled in bearing 58 on the front plate 16 and the face plate 20. It is seen that with the wheels 38 on each side of the bull gear 32 that the circular housing 26 is positioned so that circular housing 26 cannot move longitudinally in the log debarker. Between the end of the front face 16 and the circular housing 28 it is seen that there is a dust seal 60.

The log debarker comprises a working tool 62 having a curved working face 64, a reinforcing web 66 in back of the working face 64 and a contact end 68. The web 66 and working face 64 connect with a hub 70 having a passageway 72 therein. The working tip 68 may be of a special alloy metal or steel having wear resistance properties. This is beneficial because of the contact with the bark of the log. The working tool 62 is mounted on a shaft 74.

In the front face 32 of the circular housing 26 there is an opening 76 and in the rear face 30 of the housing 26 there is an opening 78. On the rear of the face 32 and on the front of the face 30 there are bearings 80. The shaft 74 projects through the openings 76 and 78 and is journalled in the bearings 80.

The shaft 74 also extends through a cylindrical housing 82 having a cylindrical casing 84. On each of the ends of the cylindrical casing 84 are two ball bearing races. Attached to the inner face of cylindrical casing 84, and at each end thereof. is an outer race 86. The shaft 74 connects with an inner race 88. It is seen that the shaft 74 does not extend through the center of the inner race 88 but is off set from the center or may be considered to be in an eccentric position with respect to the race 88-. Also, the shaft 74 is keyed at 90 to each of the inner races 88. The shaft 74 is also keyed at 92 to the working tool 62. In effect, the shaft 74 and the cylindrical housing 82 are in an eccentric relationship with each other.

On the exterior surface of the cylindrical sleeve 22 or a throat 22 there are mounted two tire and rim combinations 94. It is seen that there are positioning brackets 96 for these tire and rims. The tire and rims may have an inner tube or may be tubeless. Connecting with tires 94 is a pneumatic pipe 98. It is to be understood that this pipe 98 connects with a source of air pressure. In' FIGURE 2 there is more completely illustrated the pipe 98 connecting with the tires 94. The tires 94 may be a conventional tire such as an 8 x 44 tire having four plys. It is to be understood that other size tires may be employed for other size log debarkers. Also it is to be understood that in place of the tire and rims 24 that there may be employed other suitable expandible means such as expandible flexible rings such as plastic tubes. The purpose of the tires or tubes 94 is to increase the exterior diameter so as to bear against the cylindrical housing 82. It is seen that an inflatable ring such as an automobile tire is readily usable as the size of the ring can be readily varied by the use of air under pressure.

In FIGURE 1 it is seen that the circular housing 26 and the working tool 62 rotate in a clockwise direction. As a result, the working tip 68 drags along the log so as to pull off bark. If the housing 26 and the working tool 62 rotate in a counter-clockwise direction then the Working tip 68 might dig into the log and harm the apparatus.

Associated with the log debarker is an inlet feed mechanism 100 and an outlet feed mechanism 102. The feed mechanisms 100 and 102 are schematically illustrated. Feed mechanisms for log debarkers are wellknown and have been employed in the art for a number of years.

In operation it is seen that a log 104 is fed into the throat 22 of the log debarker. This log 104 has bark 106.

Prior to feeding the log 104 into the debarker 10, the air pressure is released on the flexible expandible rings or tires 94. With the air pressure released and the housing 26 rotating, the working tools 62 rotate outwardly so as to form a large opening to allow the log to enter the throat of the debarker. The reason for this outward movement of the working tools is due to centrifugal force on the tool. Then, the air pressure 'is increased in the tires or in the expandible flexible rings 94 so that the tires contact the rotating sleeve 84 of the cylindrical housing 82. By contacting this sleeve the cylindrical housing is moved and as a result the tip 68 of the Working tool 62 is moved inwardly to contact the bark on the log. It is readily appreciated that since the shaft 74 is mounted in an eccentric relationship with the inner race 88 of the ball bearing races 86 and 88 that with the expandible flexible rings 94 contacting the housing 82 that the tip 68 of the working tool 92 will be rotated inwardly.

With the tip 68 contacting the bark 106 on the log 104, the bark 106 is removed and flies off the log. The feed mechanism 100 feeds the log 104 to the throat 22 of the log debarker 10 and the outfeed mechanism 102 assists in pulling the debarked log 104 through the log debarker 10.

After the log 104 has passed through the log debarker then the air pressure on the tires 94 is decreased so that the tip 68 of the working tools 62 once again moves outwardly so as to allow another log to be introduced into the debarker.

The speed of rotation of the cylindrical housing 26 may be in the range of 50 to 250 rpm. With the four or more working tools 62 it is possible, with this speed of rotation, to readily remove bark from the log 104.

Having presented my invention, What I claim is:

1. A log debarking machine, said machine comprising:

(a) a stationary throat defining a passageway through the machine;

(b) a rotatably mounted housing circumscribing said throat;

(c) said housing rotating around said throat;

(d) a multiplicity of working tools mounted on said housing;

(e) said tools being directed inwardly into said throat;

(f) an expandible flexible ring surrounding said throat and being fixed to said throat; and,

(g) means connecting said tools and said ring to move said tools with respect to the throat.

2. A log debarking machine, said machine comprising:

(a') a stationary throat defining a passageway through the machine;

'(b) a housing circumscribing said throat;

(c) means to rotate said housing around said throat;

(d) a multiplicity of shafts mounted on said housing;

(e) working tools mounted on said shafts;

(f) an expandible flexible ring surrounding said throat 3. A log debarking machine, said machine comprising:

(a) a stationary throat defining a passageway through the machine;

(b) a circular housing circumscribing said throat;

(c) means to rotate said circular housing;

(d) a multiplicity of working tools;

(e) said working tool having a curved working face;

(f) shafts mounted in said circular housing;

(g) said working tools being mounted on a respective shaft;

(h) a cylindrical housing mounted on each of the shafts on which is mounted a working tool;

(i) said shaft and cylindrical housing being in an eccentric relationship with each other;

(j) said cylindrical housing being inside of said circular housing and outside of said throat;

(k) an expandible flexible ring;

(1) said ring being positioned on the outside of said throat and between the throat and the cylindrical housing;

(m) said ring being expandible by a fluid under pressure so as to contact said cylindrical housing to rotate said working tool inwardly; and, p

(11) means to support said cylindrical housing.

' 4. A log debarking machine, said machine comprising:

(a) a stationary throat defining a passageway through the machine;

(b) a circular housing circumscribing said throat;

(c) a bull gear on the exterior of the circular housing;

(d) a motor, shaft and pinion gear on said machine;

(e) said pinion gear in driving relationship with said bull gear;

(f) a multiplicity of working tools;

(g) said working tool having a curved working face, a reinforcing Web on the back of the Working face, and a hub;

(h) shafts mounted in said circular housing;

(i) the hubs of said working tools being mounted on said shafts;

(j) a cylindrical housing mounted on each of the shafts on which is mounted a working tool;

(k) said cylindrical housing having an outer ball hearing race and an inner ball bearing race;

(1) said inner ball bearing race being eccentrically mounted on said shaft;

(m) said cylindrical housing being inside of said circular housing and outside of said throat;

(11) an expandible tire;

(0) said tire being positioned on the outside of said throat and between the throat and the cylindrical housing; V

(p) said tire being expandable by a gas under pressure so as to. contact said cylindrical housing to rotate said working tool inwardly;

(q) a multiplicity of wheels supporting and positioning said cylindrical housing; and,

(r) said wheels being arranged so that the wheels are on each side of the bull gear.

5. A log debarking machine, said machine comprising:

(a) a stationary throat defining a passageway through the machine;

(b) a rotatably mounted housing circumscribing said throat;

(c) said housing rotating around said throat;

(d) a multiplicity of working tools mounted on said housing;

(e) an expandible flexible ring;

(f) said ring being fixed on the outside of the throat;

(g) means connecting said ring and said tools; and (b) said ring being expandable by a fluid under pressure so as to contact said means to move said working tools inwardly with respect to the throat.

5 6 6. A log debarking machine, said machine comprising: References Cited by the Examiner (21211: 111231111233! throat defining a passageway through UNITED STATES PATENTS (b) a housing -circumscribing said throat; 1,625,299 4/1927 Costello 74570 (c) means to rotate said housing around said throat; 5 11627375 5/1927 Hana 74570 (d) a multiplicity of shafts mounted on said housing; 2,623,558 12/1952 Andersson 144-2085 (e) working tools mounted on said shafts; 3,115,167 12/1963 V310 144-2085 an eXPaHdible tire; FOREIGN PATENTS (g) said tire being fixed on the outside of said throat; i

(11) means connecting said tire and said shafts; and, 10 31228 2/1961 Fmland' (i) said tire being expandibie by a gas under pressure ROBERT C RIORDON Primary Examiner so as to contact said means to rotate said tools with respect to said throat, WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Examiner. 

1. A LOG DEBARKING MACHINE, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING: (A) A STATIONARY THROAT DEFINING A PASSAGEWAY THROUGH THE MACHINE; (B) A ROTATABLY MOUNTED HOUSING CIRCUMSCRIBING SAID THROAT; (C) SAID HOUSING ROTATING AROUND SAID THROAT; (D) A MULTIPLICITY OF WORKING TOOLS MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING; (E) SAID TOOLS BEING DIRECTED INWARDLY INTO SAID THROAT; (F) AN EXPANDIBLE FLEXIBLE RING SURROUNDING SAID THROAT AND BEING FIXED TO SAID THROAT; AND, (G) MEANS CONNECTING SAID TOOLS AND SAID RING TO MOVE SAID TOOLS WITH RESPECT TO THE THROAT. 